Board Of Education Members Hear Communications From The Public, Assign ‘Final Days’ Of School Year

WAYNE – A pair of topics were brought forward during the ‘Communications from the Public’ segment of Monday evening’s regularly scheduled Wayne Community Schools Board of Education meeting.

From the Jr-Sr High School Conference Room (202), members with the National Honor Society presented a check of $1,115.45 to the Wayne Food Pantry during Monday evening’s board of education meeting. The group hosted a Coin War and had previously set a goal of $300.

Each regular meeting has a section for ‘Communications from the Public’. Two items were addressed from three different people about the mask requirement at the school and the decision not to fill a half-time position of elementary Art and High Ability Learners (HAL) with one speaker being Sonya Tompkins, who announced her resignation in March from the Elementary Art/High Ability Learners position.

No formal action or discussion was had about the two topics but Superintendent, Dr. Mark Lenihan said on the ‘View from Wayne America’ over 80% of the taxpayers support the needs of the school.

“Until that changes in the legislature and until there’s a shift to provide more balance, in other words more funding from the state,” said Lenihan. “We’re going to have to look cautiously at our finances and potentially not fill positions that come open.”

The new librarian, Sarah Oltjenbruns will take over the HAL position which is an extra-duty stipend while Wayne Community Schools will have elementary teachers put Art into their curriculum. Samantha Novak was also hired as an elementary teacher.

During new business, the final day for the 2020-21 school year was set as Thursday, May 20 (full-day). The seniors last day will be Tuesday, May 11 with graduation set for Saturday, May 15 at 2 p.m. at Rice Auditorium as the board accepted the graduate list of 71. Graduation for the Early Learning Center will be Wednesday, May 12 with their final day being Friday, May 14.

The teachers will continue to meet through Wednesday, May 26 being the 186th contract day.

During a COVID-19 update, Dr. Lenihan said there have been 234 staff absences due to COVID from either testing positive or being exposed.

“Our caution is we want to make sure that we are able to have these spring activities that we didn’t have last year,” Dr. Lenihan mentioned. “…But if our public health department, which is in yellow, sees fit that they can move to green, which is the least restrictive of all of the protocols, we would follow that as well.”

The board approved to engage in a strategic planning process that will involve community engagement. Also, Otte Construction provided a guaranteed maximum price (GMP), including a contingency allowance being $353,700 for the high school restroom project.

Mid States School Bus has changed hands to First Student as the board needed to sign an agreement that the transfer took place. It was stated during the meeting that services will continue as planned.

The next regularly scheduled Wayne Community Schools Board of Education meeting will be on Monday, May 10.

 

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